Definition of Waag

For the river in Slovakia see Váh

A waag ("Weighing House") is a building near a market-square, where goods that are to be sold on a public market (and between 1550 and about 1690 people accused of witchcraft as well) are weighed by local authorities. The name stems from the Middle Ages. Waag is an old Dutch word for scale; compare the etymologically cognate German word: die Waage = the scales. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, as public control of the weights of goods was very important, because international standards for weights did not yet exist.